How ’s Arm Whisperer Fixes Broken

Ivan Nova’s unexpected resurgence marks yet another successful reclamation project for the under the tutelage of pitching Ray Searage.

By: Jared Diamond- The Wall Street Journal

Pittsburgh

In today’s data-driven, power-centric version of baseball, starting pitchers tend to follow a similar formula: They throw as hard as they can for as long as they can, racking up until they reach the 100-pitch mark, usually around the sixth or so. The days of one man owning the mound for 27 outs ended long ago.

But it seems Pittsburgh Pirates right-hander Ivan Nova never received that message. Upon arriving here in a trade with the last August, he has emerged as the ultimate throwback, dominating opposing lineups in a manner hardly seen for decades.

In his first 15 outings for Pittsburgh, Nova completed four, more than anyone else during that span. Even more improbable, in 91 2/3 of work, he has issued just four total walks. That means when Nova pitches, he is equally likely to go the distance as he is to miss the four times to a given batter.

“A lot of guys like to strike out everybody,” said Nova, who is scheduled to start Saturday night in Miami. “I like seeing all those ground balls and quick outs. It makes me more happy than getting 10 strikeouts.”

Nova’s unexpected resurgence marks yet another successful reclamation project for the Pirates, who, under the tutelage of pitching coach Ray Searage, have reached the playoffs in three of the past four years. Since assuming his post full-time in 2011, Searage has earned the reputation as perhaps the sport’s premier arm whisperer, known for taking castoffs and also-rans and resurrecting their careers.

After putting up a 4.75 ERA in nine seasons for four other teams, Edinson Volquez posted a sparkling 3.04 ERA in his one year with Searage in 2014. A.J. Burnett came to Pittsburgh in 2012 at age 35, his ERA having ballooned to 5.20 over the previous two seasons with the Yankees; he lowered it to 3.41 over the next two years. J.A. Happ spent just two months with the Pirates in 2015 and proceeded to go 20-4 with a 3.18 ERA for the last season.

And now comes Nova, the latest and arguably most impressive example. He has a 2.75 ERA with the Pirates, down from 4.41 in seven seasons with the Yankees. Because of the presence of the , ERAs always a bit higher than ERAs, but that doesn’t account for Searage’s knack for coaxing dramatic turnarounds.

“It’s pretty special what he does, and it’s a big reason why we’re the pitching staff we are now,” Pittsburgh backup said. “It’s not just one or two guys. It seems like one or two guys every year.”

Searage does not accomplish this with mechanical overhauls. He said he hardly touched Nova’s delivery. Instead, Searage thrives by espousing a simple philosophy that he calls the Pirates’ Golden Rule: “Try to make something happen in three pitches or less.”

While most teams purport to emphasize efficiency and pitching to contact, none do it with the fervor of the Pirates. With the support of general and other top-ranking officials, the Pirates begin preaching the gospel of “three pitches or less” from the moment pitchers enter the organization in the low minors.

The indoctrination continues in the majors, where Searage often leaves printouts at pitchers’ lockers showing where they stand in things like first-pitch strike percentage, two-strike-out-of-three rate and three-ball counts. When those numbers slip, the pitchers hear about it.

“Being forward-thinking is great, and we’re very forward-thinking here, too,” righty said. “But a lot of it boils down to command.” Most of the time, positive results follow. The Pirates have averaged 3.75 pitches per batter faced since the start of Searage’s tenure, the fewest in the majors. They have induced a grounder on about 49% of balls in play, the best in the sport. The data-providing service Baseball Info Solutions classified 20% of the balls in play against them since 2011 as “soft contact,” also the best in MLB.

That explains how since 2011, Pittsburgh ranks sixth in baseball in ERA despite ranking 22nd in rate. For the small- market Pirates, whose limited budget makes attracting high-end free agents difficult, the ability to fix broken pitchers sets the franchise apart.

“Through the minor leagues all the way up to here, this is what we preach,” Searage said. “We are aggressive. We will attack you. We want your swing, and we will make adjustments accordingly. These are our core values.”

For Nova to accept Searage’s teachings, he first needed to regain his confidence, which had dropped in his final years with the Yankees. While in the pressure cooker of New York, Nova constantly feared for his job security, worrying about relegation to the or even a demotion to the minors.

Nova said he frequently found himself thinking, “What happens if I don’t win the game? What happens if I don’t go enough innings? What happens if I give up too many runs?”

“It’s hard to pitch” under those conditions, he said.

With the Pirates, those concerns have vanished.

They assured Nova that they intended to keep him in the rotation even in the face of struggles, instructing him simply to pound the strike zone. Before long, Stewart said “he realized he didn’t have to nitpick.” Starting catcher , Nova’s teammate with the Yankees from 2010 through 2014, said Nova “found who he really is.”

The stats show as much. When he got to the Pirates, his command improved dramatically, throwing just 3.6% of his pitches in three-ball counts—more than a full point better than the next-closest in that category, Boston’s .

“I’m not worried about anything,” Nova said. “I just attack the hitters. I just focus on getting quick outs.”

For sure, the Pirates face an uphill battle, competing with the mighty in the NL Central. They rank near the bottom of baseball in most offensive categories and recently lost All-Star Starling Marte for half the season after he tested positive for a performance-enhancing drug.

But one thing won’t change: The Pirates’ pitchers probably won’t be the problem.

“We believe in it,” Searage said. “And pitchers have believed in it because they see the success rate.”

We Have Made History / PITTSBURGH PIRATES

By: Gift Ngoepe – The Player’s Tribune

When they announced my name over the P.A. system and told the crowd at PNC Park that Gift Ngoepe would be entering the game — a real game — as the Pittsburgh Pirates’ , the first thing I did was say some words to my mom.

She passed away a few years ago. But before that my mom had raised me in a town near Johannesburg, , called Randburg. We lived in a tiny room inside a clubhouse belonging to the Randburg Mets baseball team. Mom cooked for the players and cleaned the clubhouse, so they allowed us to live there. When she wasn’t busy working, she would watch me run around on the diamond out front and throw pop flies to myself for hours. She told me to never give up on my dream of playing in the major leagues. Everything I have accomplished — everything I am, really — I owe to her. So when I walked out onto the field at PNC after nearly nine years in the minors, and as the first African-born player to appear in a Major League Baseball game, I spoke to her. “This is it, Mom,” I said. “We did it. We have made history!”

“Everything we’ve been working so hard to achieve, for all those years and years, has finally arrived.”

“The dream I’ve held since I was a young boy, and that you always supported, has finally come true.”

“I did it, Mom. Just like you always told me I would.”

I came into the game in the top of the fourth, and it felt like my heart was pumping out of my chest. Cervelli and J-Hay noticed it, too.

I’m not sure how I kept it together, honestly.

I led off the bottom of the fourth, and prior to my very first as a big league player, walking up to the batter’s box, I was a nervous wreck. I tried my best to get control of my emotions. It was not easy, let me tell you. I had to focus heavily on my breathing, because there was so much adrenaline running through me. I worked hard to control my nerves, but I was in my own head the entire time.

“You gotta calm down, Gift. You gotta calm down. Control your emotions. It’s just another baseball game. Just go out there and do your thing.”

That’s easier said than done, believe me.

When I stepped into the box, I took a very deep breath, and then I looked out at .

“O.K. Gift,” I said to myself, “This is really happening. You are up against Jon Lester. He has three rings. He’s one of the best pitchers in the game. And he’s facing you. He’s facing Gift Ngoepe!”

My plan was to swing at the very first pitch. I was looking for one pitch, in one zone. The idea was to the ball back up through the box. When Lester went away with his first pitch for a ball, it meant that I wouldn’t be able to go with my plan, but it also really helped to calm me down. I saw the pitch well.

“Stay focused, Gift. You can do this. Look for your pitch.”

Then another ball.

“Alright Gift, you’re in a 2–0 count now.”

Never let anyone tell you that dreams don’t come true.

At that point, in my mind, I thought about whether I should try to get the bat head out on the next pitch and see if I could pull the ball to left field. I paused for a second.

“No!”

“That’s not the approach that got you to this place. Stick with the plan, Gift: line drive back up the middle.”

The next pitch was a fastball right over the plate. I tried to inside out it, and I didn’t barrel it up. I Just fouled it off into the stands, and I was not happy about that.

“This is not good, Gift.” “This is a terrible AB right now, man. You were 2–0. You should’ve gotten the bat head out and not gotten beat by a fastball. Come on, Gift!”

When Lester took me to 3–1, I started to feel better. I relaxed myself.

“Gift, you’re in a real good hitter’s count right now. Do what you know how to do.”

Then I got my wish.

He threw me a 3–1 fastball over the heart of the plate. I was able to use my hands and hit it back up the middle for a single.

It wasn’t a cheap hit either. It was solid. It was a real hit. A major league hit.

And you better believe I’m smiling as I write that. You should see my smile right now.

Gift Ngoepe, from Randburg, South Africa, is a major league baseball player, and he got a hit in his very first at bat in the big leagues.

Never let anyone tell you that dreams don’t come true.

My mom made that hit happen, that much is certain.

She was watching over me, just as she always has. My mom has always been there for me. And even when she’s not around, I know she’s there spiritually because I feel her presence everywhere I go, and in everything I do.

When we lived together for all those years in that clubhouse — from the time I was two until I left to play baseball in the States at 18 — we developed the most incredible bond. It was me, mom, and my younger brother, Victor.

The room was very small — almost like the size of a big closet here in America — but it was home. The kitchen was in that room. As was the living room. It wasn’t big enough to divide up into separate living spaces. It was all just one room, and we had a mattress on the floor. But it didn’t matter to us. We made it work. We more than made it work, actually: We were so happy together.

We were genuinely happy. We had love.

And we made everything fun. We laughed together, and played games, and we ate dinner together as a family every night.

I wouldn’t change a single thing about it … including, obviously, the fact that I had a baseball diamond as my front yard, my playground.

My mom saw how much I loved spending time on that field, and she believed that it was my destiny to play in the majors. She had my back when I gave up cricket and soccer in favor of baseball, and when the Randburg Mets raised the money to send me to an MLB academy in Italy where I caught the attention of major league scouts. Even when I wasn’t sure that I’d ever be able to make it to where I am today, she never wavered in her belief.

I almost quit baseball in 2009 — my very first season — because I missed her so much. I was playing in the Gulf Coast League, and I hadn’t been home to visit for a while. I had a tough time making friends initially, and the disappointment about that had been building up inside me, so I got extremely homesick. No one understood me. They didn’t know what to make of this little guy from South Africa. When I told people where I was from, some of them thought that I was making it up.

I remember one of my coaches early on started speaking to me in Spanish, like I was a Latin player. I told him that I did not entiende, because that was the only word I knew in Spanish, but it was kind of always something. And things just got very difficult after a while. I had always been a momma’s boy, so I pretty much decided I was going to pack it up and go home to be with my mom.

But when she caught wind of my plans, she told me that I needed to be strong and remember my dream.

That made the difference. Her saying that convinced me to keep playing.

Then, a few years later, right before she passed away in 2013 from pneumonia, I was ready to give up again. I went back to South Africa and visited her at the hospital for five days before she passed, and I was all set to stay home for good.

Things weren’t going well on the field, and being the hope of an entire country — of an entire continent — really began to weigh heavily on me. It was like, What if I don’t make it? What if I’m not good enough and then no African player ever breaks into the majors?

I felt like in addition to letting myself down, and letting my family down, I was in the process of letting down my country.

But my mom would have none of it. She urged me to keep going. She said she knew I could make it, and I felt like I needed to prove her right.

I needed to show her that I could do it.

I needed to prove to her that we could fulfill that dream … that she had been right about me all along.

And when I got that hit the other night in my first at bat, I know it was because of her.

All I could think about when I reached first base after my first big league hit was….

Don’t cry!

Whatever you do, Gift … just don’t cry.

Again, easier said than done.

And it was almost like our first base coach, Kimera Bartee, was going out of his way to get me to shed some tears. He came over to me and told me that he had almost wept when I stepped into the box for the first time.

There were tears kind of welling up for me at that point.

Then he said, “When I saw you hit the ball like that … I almost cried again.”

But it was the next thing he told me that hit me the hardest.

“Oh,” he said, “one more thing: Your mom is really proud of you right now, Gift. She is smiling down on you from above.”

I almost broke down at that point. I really did.

I had a couple tears in my eyes when he said that. They were ready to roll down, but I kept them in there somehow. I don’t know how, but I kept them in.

Whatever you do, Gift … just don’t cry. Now that I’ve made it to the major leagues, the big challenge is going to be staying here. And you better believe that I’m going to be relying on lessons my mom taught me in order to make a go of it.

If she were here with me today, I know that she would be proud. She’d be overjoyed, actually. But she’d also have some words of wisdom for me.

I’m sure of it.

She’d look at me, and smile, and maybe pause for a second.

“Gift,” she’d say, “your journey has only just begun.”

Mom was always thinking about the future, and how wonderful it might be.

“Stay humble, Gift. Be respectful to other people. Do right by your family name. Keep working hard and reaching for your goals. Never stop reaching for your goals. You can do whatever you put your mind to, my son.”

Right at this moment, in my head, I can hear her saying those words to me in the most beautiful voice you could ever imagine.

And if she were here with me, and I were able to respond, I’m pretty sure I’d just tell her that I love her.

Then I’d give her a big hug and a kiss, and thank her for making all my dreams come true.

“We did it, mom,” I’d tell her, smiling. “You and me, together … we did it.”

Cutch, Harrison (2x) homer, but Bucs lose

By Mark Sheldon and Adam Berry / MLB.com

CINCINNATI -- Billy Hamilton has struggled the first month for the Reds from the leadoff spot and has been looking for a way out of his rut. He made some pre-game adjustments on Monday, and the results came at a very clutch moment: Hamilton's RBI in the bottom of the 10th inning gave the Reds a 4-3 walk-off victory over the Pirates.

Tucker Barnhart drew a one-out walk in the 10th from and with pinch-runner Arismendy Alcantara on first base, an errant pickoff throw put him into scoring position. On a 2-2 pitch from Hudson, Hamilton -- who was 4-for-23 on the previous road trip and .213 entering the night -- pulled his game-ending hit into short right field over Josh Bell's head. Alcantara scored easily, standing up.

On the advice of assistant hitting coach Tony Jaramillo Jr., Hamilton squared his batting stance to be less open.

"Definitely, you've got to build on stuff like that," Hamilton said. "Especially when I'm not hitting the way I want to hit. The last road trip was to the point where my confidence went down a little bit. Today, I got in the cage and felt something click."

Michael Lorenzen pitched two scoreless innings with three strikeouts for the victory.

Cincinnati had a 3-2 lead with two outs in the top of the eighth when slugged a game-tying solo homer to left field on a 2-2 from reliever . Harrison's first homer of the night -- which led off the sixth inning against Reds starter -- gave Pittsburgh a 2-0 lead on two hits.

In the bottom of the sixth against Pirates starter Gerrit Cole, Adam Duvall's three-run homer to left field propelled the Reds into a one-run lead. Cole was aiming to throw Duvall a slider, down and away, but it stayed up enough for Duvall to hit it a projected 403 feet. "It got 50 percent of the way there -- got it to the corner," Cole said. "I'm not surprised when fly balls don't come back here."

And just like that, Cole went from being in position to win to remaining winless in his career vs. Cincinnati. The right- hander, who allowed three runs (two earned) and five hits over six innings with one walk and seven strikeouts, is 0-6 with a 5.14 ERA in nine career starts against the Reds.

Garrett, coming off a poor outing at Milwaukee in which he lasted 3 1/3 innings and allowed 10 runs, bounced back in a big way. The Reds rookie left-hander gave up two earned runs and two hits -- both on solo home runs -- with three walks and four strikeouts.

MOMENTS THAT MATTERED Hometown Harrison: A Cincinnati native, Harrison enjoyed the first multi-homer game of his career and the Pirates' first multi-homer performance of the season. His second shot came after Storen went to an 0-2 count against him and couldn't get out of the inning. Entering the night, Storen had a 0.75 ERA in his previous 11 appearances.

"It's always nice to be back home," Harrison said. "Get to sleep in your own bed, see some family and friends and get to do what I love."

Hudson's costly E1: With Devin Mesoraco pinch-hitting and a speedy Alcantara on first for Barnhart, Hudson made four pickoff throw attempts before his fifth try got past Bell and bounced into foul territory. It put the go- ahead run into scoring position for Hamilton.

"As a hitter, I don't hit too many balls deep. It's going to be tough for me to score them from first base," Hamilton said. "When you get him on second base, it makes it easier for a hitter to hit. … [Hudson is] not quick but in that situation, he's going to try to be quick with [Alcantara] over there. Alcantara got enough of a lead for the guy to keep picking over and made him make a bad throw to get into scoring position for me to have a chance to do it."

QUOTABLE "It's always sitting there pending. No one's going to be great every day, but the threat of an extra-base hit, a three-run homer, a solo shot to tie the game late, he never seems like he's in a situation that's too big for him to handle. -- Reds manager , on Duvall's . Duvall has five homers and 13 RBIs over his last 11 games.

"It comes down to execution at the end of the day at this level and every other level you play at. When you don't execute, you put yourself at the mercy of the game. We had a couple opportunities to execute better tonight." -- Pirates manager , on two key errors: Phil Gosselin's sixth-inning before Duvall's homer and Hudson's errant pickoff throw

SOUND SMART WITH YOUR FRIENDS Andrew McCutchen, who homered in the first inning, has hit 17 of his 27 career homers against the Reds at Great American Ball Park. McCutchen's 17 homers as a visiting player at this ballpark rank fifth all-time behind Lance Berkman (23), (22), (20) and Aramis Ramirez (18).

UPON FURTHER REVIEW In the bottom of the first inning, Hamilton was called out trying to steal third base. But after the Reds challenged the call, a review by replay officials determined that Hamilton's hand touched the base before he was tagged and it was overturned. It was the 23rd time since the start of 2016 that Hamilton stole third base, which is most in the Majors.

WHAT'S NEXT Pirates: Top prospect , coming off another short start, will start for the Pirates as they continue their four- game series against the Reds on Tuesday at 7:10 p.m. ET at Great American Ball Park. The Reds beat up on Glasnow in his season debut, as he walked five and recorded only five outs at PNC Park.

Reds: Scott Feldman will get the start for Cincinnati. It will be Feldman's first start vs. the Pirates since June 24, 2010, when he was with the Rangers. He has a 7.04 ERA in two career games against them.

Home is where homers are for Harrison By Adam Berry / MLB.com

CINCINNATI -- Josh Harrison was born and raised in this city. He attended the University of Cincinnati, a few miles north of Great American Ball Park. Every time the Pirates play in his hometown, Harrison has his own personal cheering section. He looked at home Monday night, too.

With about a dozen family members and friends in attendance, Harrison hit two solo home runs against the Reds. But his first career multi-homer game was not enough. The rest of the Pirates' lineup went hitless after the first inning, and the Bucs paid for their mistakes as they lost, 4-3, in 10 innings.

"It's always nice to be back home," Harrison said. "Get to sleep in your own bed, see some family and friends and get to do what I love."

The Pirates' first multi-homer performance of the season improved Harrison's triple-slash line to .313/.383/.506 after his first 24 games. He's hit four home runs, tied with Josh Bell and Andrew McCutchen for the team lead, and his strikeout rate is down from years past.

"You get pitches to hit, don't miss 'em," Harrison said. "Finally healthy and able to get pitches and not miss them."

Health has been a focal point for Harrison since the day he reported to . He had surgery in July 2015 to repair a torn ulnar collateral ligament in his left thumb. He rushed back, at less than 100 percent, to finish that season. Early on last season, especially in cold weather, Harrison's thumb grew stiff. The soreness subsided late last year, but a groin strain ended his season early.

Harrison's first homer on Monday was unlikely, statistically, but he capitalized on his hometown's hitter-friendly ballpark. Leading off the sixth inning, Harrison worked a 3-1 count then swung at a 91.2-mph fastball from Amir Garrett. It was up, but it was on the other edge of the plate, maybe even out of the strike zone.

According to Statcast™, the ball came off Harrison's bat at 95.3 mph with a launch angle of 38 degrees and a Hit Probability of just 9 percent. It landed over the fence in right field.

"He just went with it and put a great swing on it," Garrett said. "He put it out."

With two outs in the eighth and the Pirates trailing by a run, Harrison pulled Drew Storen's 2-2 slider deep to left-center field. The pitch was left up in the zone, and Harrison swatted the game-tying shot a projected 368 feet, according to Statcast™.

But Harrison's homers accounted for the entirety of the Pirates' offense after McCutchen's first-inning solo shot. They finished with three hits, the home runs by McCutchen and Harrison.

"That's the theme," manager Clint Hurdle said. "Josh saw [Garrett] better than others."

Setup man Daniel Hudson lost the game in the 10th with a walk, an errant pickoff throw and a double served up to Billy Hamilton with two outs. If the game had gone to an 11th inning, Harrison was due to for the Pirates.

"One to right, one to left," Hurdle said. "Would have liked to have gotten him up another time."

Pirates call up catcher Diaz from Triple-A

By Adam Berry / MLB.com

CINCINNATI - With catcher Francisco Cervelli still sidelined by nagging, intermittent foot soreness, the Pirates recalled Elias Diaz from Triple-A Indianapolis on Monday. Cervelli said his right foot felt better on Monday afternoon, but he was not able to return to the lineup at Great American Ball Park. Catcher Chris Stewart got the start behind the plate. Until Cervelli is fully healthy, the Bucs will turn to Diaz while monitoring the 35-year-old Stewart's workload.

“Diaz is going to provide us a transition guy we can count on that knows our staff, knows most of the guys, has put in time and will be ready to provide some service for us here," manager Clint Hurdle said. "I'm not so sure what degree we need to push Stewart right now, early in the season."

Cervelli said his foot was sore when he woke up Sunday. That kept him off the field at Marlins Park and left him unavailable Monday in Cincinnati, where he received treatment. But Cervelli is not considering a trip to the disabled list to fully rest his foot.

"Not going to happen," Cervelli said. "It's much better today. … In the offseason, I'll take a week off. Not now."

Diaz, the club's No. 10 prospect according to MLBPipeline.com, was hitting .305/.317/.441 with a homer and 12 RBIs in 15 games for Indianapolis.

"I'm glad to be healthy. I'm glad to be here. That's my goal," said Diaz, who was set back by elbow and leg injuries last year. "Be healthy, no matter where I am. If I'm in Triple-A or I'm in the big leagues, I have to be healthy and ready all the time."

The Bucs wanted to promote Diaz on Sunday, but he could not have made it to Miami in time. So the Pirates had to call up emergency catcher John Bormann from Advanced Bradenton, their closest available catcher. Bormann made it in time and struck out as a pinch-hitter during his unlikely, but memorable, day as a big leaguer. He was optioned back to Bradenton on Monday.

"I did tell him the story about the manager in the American League [Jeff Banister, the former Pirates bench coach] that had one Major League at-bat as well," Hurdle said. "Hopefully, you'll get more. If you don't, it's played out well for somebody else."

Kuhl improving A day after being struck on the inside of his right knee by Dee Gordon's hard-hopping ground ball, right-hander said he was feeling bruised but better. Kuhl had to leave his start Sunday at Marlins Park in the fifth inning, but he plans to make his next scheduled start.

"I think I'm good," Kuhl said. "All good."

Kuhl said there is still the imprint of a baseball on his knee, which remains swollen. He threw a few warmup pitches after the ball knocked him off his feet, but it wasn't enough to convince Hurdle or head athletic trainer Todd Tomczyk.

"It was almost like I was unstable. I picked my leg up and just wobbled," Kuhl said. "I told myself to stand, and I just couldn't. I tried to trick them, and it didn't work."

On the mend and David Freese, both on the disabled list with hamstring injuries, played catch Monday afternoon under Tomczyk's watch. Frazier, eligible to return Wednesday but likely to do so a few days afterward, took batting practice on the field with the Pirates' final group.

Frazier is out with a left hamstring strain. Freese, sidelined by a right hamstring strain, is eligible to come off the 10-day disabled list on Friday.

Glasnow seeks improvement vs. Reds

By Adam Berry / MLB.com CINCINNATI -- When the Pirates and Reds return to Great American Ball Park on Tuesday night, they would like to see more efficient outings from their starting pitchers.

That is particularly true of Pittsburgh with rookie Tyler Glasnow. The club's top prospect has worked only 14 2/3 innings and completed five innings in just one of his four starts. The Reds chased Glasnow from his season debut after 1 2/3 innings, and he was forced out of Wednesday's game against the Cubs -- an outing he described as "pretty poor" -- after recording 10 outs.

Pirates manager Clint Hurdle stated the issue clearly following that game: "We're going to need more innings."

"I need to get back to what I was doing before," Glasnow said. "I've been a little out of whack this year. I'm confident I know I'm going to get back to normal."

Reds right-hander Scott Feldman has shown the ability to pitch deep into games, throwing six scoreless innings on April 9 and seven innings on April 20. But the latter was sandwiched between a pair of five-inning starts, the kind of abbreviated outing that's become problematic for the Reds lately.

Things to know about this game

• finished the month of April with 11 "barrels," batted balls with an exit velocity and launch angle that give them at least a .500 expected average and 1.500 . That total tied Votto for eighth in the Majors heading into May.

• After facing a left-hander on Monday, the Pirates may juggle their lineup against Feldman. Unless catcher Francisco Cervelli heals quicker than expected, catcher Elias Diaz could start behind the plate. John Jaso will likely start in right field over Jose Osuna with a right-hander on the mound, and Gift Ngoepe could work his way back into the lineup at second base.

• Reds left-handed reliever has shown improved fastball command and a new slider this season, making him more effective against lefties and right-handed hitters. That growth has earned him the trust of Reds manager Bryan Price.

"I would say that he has elicited a whole lot of faith," Price said, "I'm sure not just from the coaching staff and manager, but also from his teammates."

Billy Hamilton's walk-off single in 10th gives Reds 4-3 win over Pirates

By Stephen J. Nesbitt / Pittsburgh Post-Gazette

CINCINNATI — The message written on the whiteboard in the visiting clubhouse at Great American Ball Park read, “Happy birthday, Ray Searage — 12th anniversary of his 50th birthday!” On the pitching coach’s 62nd birthday, right- hander Gerrit Cole intended to deliver Searage something new:

A win against the Reds.

The Pirates, defeated in each of Cole’s eight previous starts against Cincinnati, failed to flip the result Monday, a 4-3 Pirates loss. In the 10th inning, long after Cole departed, Billy Hamilton stroked a walk-off, two-out double to right field off reeling reliever Daniel Hudson. Pinch-runner Arismendy Alcantara scampered home from second base, and the Reds dugout erupted and emptied.

The Pirates (11-14) managed just three hits, all solo home runs, and committed two costly errors. The first, a booted grounder by second baseman Phil Gosselin, sparked a sixth-inning Reds rally ended by Adam Duvall’s three-run home run. The second, Hudson’s spiked pick-off attempt following a walk in the 10th, put Alcantara on second for Hamilton to cue the fireworks.

“At the end of the day, we got three hits and three runs,” manager Clint Hurdle said. “We weren't able to capitalize offensively, and we made enough mistakes on the other side to lose by one.” With the wind blowing out to left field, all runs prior to extra innings came via the home run. Andrew McCutchen had one, Cincinnati native Josh Harrison had two — his first career multi-homer game — and Duvall’s blast put the Reds briefly ahead before Harrison knotted the score in the eighth.

Cole, 0-6 with a 5.04 ERA in nine career starts against the Reds (12-13), received no decision. In six innings, he allowed five hits, a walk and three runs, two earned. The series marked Cole’s 100th start for the Pirates. His career ERA (3.25) is the lowest for a Pirates pitcher in their first 100 starts with the team since left-hander (3.14) from 1990-94.

“Wow, that’s pretty cool,” Cole said of his milestone start. “It’s my job, so I try to do my job well. … I put a lot into it, and I’m proud of the work I put in, so that’s a nice stat to hear.”

Since a five-run fifth spoiled his start , Cole (1-3) has surrendered nine earned runs in 32 innings. The past two starts, both Pirates losses, have been impressive and perplexing. He allowed two hits over seven innings April 25 against the Chicago Cubs, drawing the loss because of an unearned run, and another unearned run ruined his shot at a win Monday.

“You never know what you’re gonna get. You never know what you’re gonna see,” Cole said. “You can do everything that you want to do, and it doesn’t go your way. You’re going to have some of those nights where you don’t do anything right, and you figure out a way to get through it.

“It’s just the beauty of the game.”

Cole skirted early trouble, stranding a runner on third base in the first and second innings. He faced the minimum nine batters in the third through the fifth. After a four-pitch fifth, which pushed Cole’s pitch count to a reasonable 71, there was turbulence in a 28-pitch sixth inning.

Hamilton, a thorn in the Pirates’ side for years, reached base leading off because Gosselin couldn’t field a late hop at second base. Hamilton stole second, his third successful of the game, and Joey Votto walked. When Cole left an 0-1 slider up and away, Duvall extended his arms for the outside pitch and swatted a go-ahead, three-run home run to left-center field.

The pitch wasn’t exactly down the pipe.

“I’m not surprised when fly balls don’t come back here,” Cole said.

Added Gosselin: “I don’t think it was even that bad of a pitch to Duvall, he’s just a strong guy and got it up in the wind. If I make that play, it might be a different inning. Hopefully next time I'll make it for [Cole] and get him the win he deserves, because he's pitching really well.”

The Pirates, down 3-2 in the seventh, had barely sniffed a rally when it was snuffed out by a botched hit-and-run. With Josh Bell on the move, Gosselin swung weakly and missed at an outside pitch. Bell was thrown out rather easily, and Gosselin then struck out.

“It was pretty far outside, so there wasn’t much I could do,” Gosselin said. “But you've got to take a chance. … We were trying to get something going against their starter.”

The Pirates’ only hits after the first inning were Harrison’s home runs. They were not enough. Left-hander Amir Garrett, who was shelled by the in his prior start for 10 runs in 3 1/3 innings, allowed two hits in seven innings Monday. He walked three and struck out four.

“Josh saw him better than others,” Hurdle said. “I’m not going to sit here and criticize our offense. I’ll have conversations with those guys when they get in.”

McCutchen’s first-inning home run was his 17th at Great American Ball Park, where he ranks fifth among visiting players behind Lance Berkman (23), Ryan Braun (22), Albert Pujols (20) and Aramis Ramirez (18). McCutchen has reached base safely in 20 consecutive games. The 10th was another troubling outing for Hudson, whom the Pirates signed this winter to a two-year, $11 million free agent contract. After three relatively smooth weeks, Hudson allowed two runs Wednesday, five Sunday and the winner Monday. In that span, he recorded just five outs.

Francisco Cervelli says DL trip is not necessary; Elias Diaz joins Pirates

By Stephen J. Nesbitt / Pittsburgh Post-Gazette

CINCINNATI — Ten weeks have passed since catcher Francisco Cervelli felt a burning sensation on the bottom of his right foot during morning workouts Feb. 19 in Bradenton, Fla. Spring training and the first month of the regular season have passed, too, and still the injury lingers.

Cervelli, out of the lineup Monday for the second consecutive day, does not believe he’ll land on the disabled list — “not going to happen,” he said. He guessed he’ll play within a couple days.

Asked if it would be wise to take off 10 days to reach 100 percent, Cervelli shook his head.

“No,” he said. “In the offseason I'll take a week off. Not now. It’s not the first time I’ve been hurt. My brain is the one who runs everything. If you think negative, [health] is not going to happen.”

There are good days and bad days for the foot, Cervelli said, and Sunday was a particularly bad day. He was unavailable, so the Pirates, unable to fly Class AAA Indianapolis catcher Diaz to Miami in time for their afternoon game, recalled Class High-A Bradenton catcher John Bormann.

On Tuesday, Bormann was optioned to Bradenton, and Diaz joined the Pirates at Great American Ball Park for their series opener against the .

Diaz, 26, has a .305 average in 15 games for Indianapolis this season. The Pirates’ No. 3 option at catcher, he was injured much of last season and was not available when Stewart and Cervelli were injured, forcing them to rely upon reserves , Erik Kratz and Eric Fryer.

“I’m glad to be healthy. I’m glad to be here,” Diaz said. “That’s my goal: be healthy, no matter where I am. If I’m in [Class] AAA or I’m in the big leagues, I have to be healthy and ready all the time.”

Manager Clint Hurdle said Diaz’s experience with each Pirates starter in the minors or in spring training is a benefit for the ball club. Should Cervelli’s injury demand a trip to the disabled list, Diaz, not the veteran backup Stewart, likely would start most games in his absence.

“Diaz is going to provide us a transition guy we can count on that knows our staff, knows most of the guys, has put in time and will be ready to provide some service for us here,” Hurdle said. “I’m not so sure what degree we need to push Stewart right now, early in the season.”

Kuhl OK

The baseball’s stitches still are visible on right-hander Chad Kuhl’s right knee, which he reported remained a little bruised and swollen Monday, but Kuhl expects to be fine for his next start. Kuhl was removed in the fifth inning Sunday after a hard ground ball bounced off his right knee.

“It hurt really bad,” he admitted Monday. “I’ve been hit before, off the feet, but nothing off the kneecap. Just kind of an awkward spot. When it hits bone like that, it’s kind of hard.”

Kuhl dusted himself off and threw a few warm-up pitches after the incident. His legs were pretty wobbly as he pitched, Kuhl said, and neither his adrenaline nor his false confidence convinced Hurdle and athletic trainer Todd Tomczyk Kuhl could continue pitching.

“I tried to trick them,” Kuhl said, laughing, “and it didn’t work.” Road to recovery

Adam Frazier and David Freese, both on the 10-day disabled list because of hamstring injuries, played catch Monday and are slowly returning to baseball activities. Frazier, eligible to return to the roster Wednesday, also participated in batting practice before the game.

More miscues at second base contribute to Pirates' loss to Reds

By: Chris Adamski – Tribune Review

CINCINNATI — It doesn't seem to matter who the Pirates put at second base. He seemingly always is committing an error the most inopportune time to hurt the Pirates' chances of winning.

Monday, it was Phil Gosselin's turn. His botching of a routine Billy Hamilton groundball altered the momentum an again- dominant Gerrit Cole and led to Cincinnati's only runs against the Pirates starter in a 4-3, 10-inning Reds victory Monday.

The winning run was aided by another Pirates error in the bottom of the 10th. Pitcher Daniel Hudson's pickoff throw to first was woefully low and got by Josh Bell, allowing Arismendy Alcantara to advance to second. He scored two batters later on a bloop double to right by Hamilton.

"When you don't execute," Pirates manager Clint Hurdle said, "you put yourself at the mercy of the game."

The throwing error by Hudson left the Pirates at the mercy of a hit like the one from Hamilton — one of the weakest-hit balls put in play all game — accounting for the winner.

It made a loser of Hudson (0-1), who entered having allowed seven runs over his previous one inning of credited work covering two outings.

But it probably never would have come down to Hudson — or extra innings — if it wasn't for Gosselin's error. He became the fourth Pirates second baseman to commit an error, the sixth "E-4" in the team's first 24 games. By comparison, the entire team has committed six errors this season.

"It just popped up at the last second on me," Gosselin said. "Thought I had a bead on it."

Just like Cole's prior start, when the only run of the game scored as a result of an errant Alen Hanson throw to first, this E-4 led to Cole's undoing.

With one out, Hamilton stole second (his third of the game). Cole walked Joey Votto on a 3-2 slider at the knees. Two pitches later, Adam Duvall turned on an 88-mph inside slider that Cole left a bit too high. He hit it into the lower part of a seating section in the Great American Ball Park's hitter-friendly left-field power alley.

"I don't think it was even that bad of a pitch to Duvall," Gosselin said. "He's just a strong guy and got it up in the wind.

"If I make that play, it might be a different inning."

Gosselin's gaffe joined that of Hanson and other notable errors by Pirates second basemen over the past 10 days alone:

• Adam Frazier's two-out mangling of a ground ball in the eighth inning of a tie game April 22 led to five Yankees runs and, eventually, a New York win.

• The next day, Josh Harrison put in a sticky situation with an error on a potential game-ending ball that loaded the bases with one out in a 2-1 game. Watson eventually escaped the jam.

Starting at third base Monday in his hometown, Harrison had a clean fielding game. He also had the first two-homer game of his career and the first by a Pirate this season. But both of Harrison's home runs Monday (during the sixth and eighth innings) came with nobody on base. So did Andrew McCutchen's in the first.

In fact, the homers were the only three hits the Pirates got against rookie Amir Garrett and two relievers. Garrett has allowed four runs on seven hits in 132⁄3 innings this season against the Pirates. He's allowed 11 earned runs on 17 hits in 161⁄3 innings against other teams in his other three outings.

"We just weren't able to square him up," Hurdle said.

Indeed, per Statcast, the Pirates' three home runs traveled an average of 361 feet. It's possible none of none of them would have been out at PNC Park, for example. Same with Duvall's, which traveled in the vicinity of PNC Park's North Side notch.

"I'm never surprised when flyballs don't come back (into play) here," Cole said.

Duvall's homer, his eighth, snapped a Cole streak of 131⁄3 innings without giving up an .

Before Gosselin's error, Cole retired 14 of the 18 Reds he'd faced. All four of the hits against him were singles, two of them softly hit, two of them groundballs. Making his 100th career start, Cole hit 100 mph once and averaged 96.7 mph on his fastball, per Statcast. He induced 10 swinging strikes and had seven strikeouts.

Note: McCutchen's homer tied him for the second-longest active streak of reaching safely in consecutive games (20). Only Seattle's (25 games) has a longer streak. McCutchen also walked.

Pirates notebook: Diaz recalled to boost depth at catcher

By: Chris Adamski – Tribune Review

CINCINNATI — Twenty-five games into the season, the Pirates recalled their fourth catcher of the season Monday. And questions remain about the health of the top two on their organizational depth chart.

Francisco Cervelli was held out of the lineup for a second consecutive day after aggravating an injury to the bottom of his right foot. For the second day in a row, that necessitated the Pirates summoning a catcher from their minor-league system (Elias Diaz) to provide insurance behind Chris Stewart.

The 35-year-old Stewart had his own injury issues, leaving his playing status in question Monday.

“He came in today, and we had to work him out,” manager Clint Hurdle said. “He was sore and a little dinged up. (But) then once we got him moving and got a nice activity period going, he feels good enough to start tonight.”

Hurdle said Stewart took a follow-through swing to the mask and a foul tip off his foot. Last season, injury limited Stewart to 34 games and resulted in the Pirates needing six to get through the campaign.

Does Hurdle have confidence Stewart — if needed — can start behind the plate several days in a row?

“We will monitor the workload that he does receive based on his experience and what he's been involved in in the past,” Hurdle said. “That's the reason we brought Diaz up. I think Diaz is going to provide us a transition guy that we can count on that knows our staff, knows most of the guys and has put in time and will be ready to provide some service for us here because I'm not so sure what degree we need to push Stewart right now early in the season.”

Cervelli has played more than 101 games only once over nine prior MLB seasons. He was on the disabled list for 31 games last season.

The tender right foot has been bothering him since spring training. Cervelli said the pain never completely goes away.

Would it make sense to go on the disabled list to allow it to heal? “No,” Cervelli said. “Not gonna happen. It's not gonna happen.”

How about just a week off to rest it?

“No. In the offseason I'll take a week off. Not now.”

Diaz chooses Bucs over passport

Unlike single-A backup John Bormann, who was brought up Sunday on an emergency basis, this is his third stint in the majors for Diaz. He's appeared in three games: two in 2015 and one last season.

Hurdle said ovations came from clubhouses across the organization when word came of Bormann's unlikely MLB debut. Diaz, logistically unable to make the trip from Indianapolis to Miami on short notice, was one of those happy for Bormann.

Monday, it was Diaz's turn. Although his promotion wasn't nearly as unlikely, Diaz wasn't told of it until after he boarded the team bus after the Triple-A Indians game. His plan for Monday's scheduled off day was to head to Washington to acquire a passport.

“(Indianapolis manager Andy Barkett) came to me and said, ‘Hey, where do you want to go tomorrow?' ” Diaz said. “ ‘Do you want to go to Washington D.C., or do you want to go to the big leagues?' And I said, ‘I want to go to the big leagues.' ”

Kuhl: ‘I'm gonna be fine'

A day after a line drive struck him and forced him from the game in Miami, starter Chad Kuhl still had the indentation of a ball and its stitches in his right knee.

But Kuhl doesn't expect to be limited by the swelling or lingering pain, and he doesn't expect to miss his next scheduled start Friday in Pittsburgh.

“I think I'm gonna be fine,” Kuhl said. “Just bruised. I'll go out there and play catch and see how it feels.”

Freese, Frazier play catch

As both approach eligibility to be activated from the 10-day disabled list later this week, David Freese and Adam Frazier played catch on the field at Great American Ball Park about four hours Monday.

Utilityman Fraizer and Freese have hamstring strains and were put on the DL last week. Frazier is eligible to be activated Wednesday and Freese on Friday. Head athletic trainer Todd Tomczyk monitored the game of catch, which began at a short distance but quickly extended to about 120 feet.

Each was to take swings in a cage later and, if all went well, join batting practice. Frazier was seen taking BP with his teammates later.

“Are they getting better? Yeah, they're getting better,” Hurdle said. “I just don't know where that stands or what that means right now.”

All-star ballot

Major League Baseball revealed its All-Star ballot Monday. Because one of their projected starting position players remains out of the country (Jung Ho Kang), another is serving an 80-game suspension (Starling Marte) and two others are on the disabled list, the Pirates' chances of having starting representation for the July 11 Midsummer Classic are diminished. The Pirates' best chance might be outfielder Andrew McCutchen, who has the biggest name nationally and also is tied for the team lead in home runs (four) and maintained his team lead in RBIs (12) with a first-inning solo homer Monday. McCutchen was on the NL roster from 2011-15.

Cervelli, Freese, Frazier, outfielder , Josh Harrison, first baseman Josh Bell and also are on the ballot.

Voting concludes June 29.

Elias Diaz Has Given the Pirates Major League Quality Catching in Indianapolis

By: Brian Peloza – piratesprospects.com

INDIANAPOLIS – Elias Diaz was feeling good physically last season with one glaring exception: his elbow.

The rest of his body felt good enough to play every game. But several issues — that elbow being the main one — caused him to miss about half of the season. Diaz had a cleanup surgery on his elbow, which was the reason for most of the games he missed. He later had a cut on his leg that got infected that led to missing a few more games, and his winter league season ended prematurely due to an oblique strain.

But that was last season. Diaz is once again healthy this season and that alone makes him feel pretty good. His performance on the field isn’t hurting his mood either. And now he’s been promoted to the Pirates as Francisco Cervelli deals with a foot injury. This is the third time in Diaz’s career he’s been called up to join the Pirates, though, he’s only played in three games.

So far this season, Diaz has started 15 of Indianapolis’ 21 games, including eight of the team’s first 10 games. He’s hitting well at the plate and his defense, is well, what you would expect.

“I’m 100 percent so I can play every day the way I’ve been doing in years before,” Diaz said. “The second half of last year was hard. It feels really good to be healthy.”

Diaz, the organization’s 14th-ranked prospect, has long been considered one of the top defensive catchers in the minor leagues. He’s playing that way this season and Indianapolis manager Andy Barkett thinks Diaz could be a backup catcher right now for any team in Major League Baseball, and possibly start for some teams.

“Defensively he’s been a major league catcher for us all season long,” Barkett said.

Diaz has thrown out nine of 19 attempted base stealers. He’s allowed just one passed ball and hasn’t committed an error, starting 15 of the Indians’ first 21 games.

That’s all good, but to be an elite catcher Barkett said “forget the blocking, the throwing and the hitting.” Instead, focus on the pitcher-catcher relationship that consists of 180 to 200 pitches a game.

“I think he really wants to be a good player and I think part of being a good player in that position is you have to understand that throwing the fingers down, and the relationship between you and the pitcher, is probably the biggest part of your job,” Barkett said.

Diaz has to be on the same page with his pitchers. That doesn’t happen from the first day they meet. It takes time, patience and communication. previously mentioned he appreciates the ability to shake off a pitch call from Diaz, without his catcher taking offense.

“I have confidence in my pitchers,” Diaz said. “I try to put down the right sign every time, but if he doesn’t like that pitch then they throw whatever they want to throw. We have a plan for the game and we try to have communication and a relationship prior to the game on how we want to attack the hitter. Sometimes they want to throw one pitch and you have to let him throw it.” Barkett recalled managing Miami Marlins catcher J.T. Realmuto at Double-A Jacksonville. In the first year Realmuto didn’t understand sequences, or do a good job of reading swings and approaches from hitters to attack in later at-bats, Barkett said.

“The second year, J.T. really began applying the game plan, reading swings and trust what he saw, trust his eyes and trust his instincts,” Barkett said.

At that point Realmuto was able to lead the pitching staff, understanding the game, not just “playing” the game, Barkett said.

“Now, with Elias, for a couple of years now, I think he kind of sees the cat-and-mouse game a little differently,” Barkett said. “He just has to continue to grow with that.”

And while there’s more to catching than blocking and throwing out runners, Diaz is excelling at that this season. There have been games when his defense behind the plate has not only saved a wild pitch, but saved runs from scoring.

Diaz’s arm has always been highly regarded and his play so far this season isn’t going to change those perceptions. He has fielded numerous swinging bunts to throw out runners and has thrown out base stealers for a double play after a strikeout.

“He has a great arm,” Barkett said. “We get him at 1.79 seconds, at times, which is ridiculous. But catching is about good footwork. Just like infield play or outfield, you have to have good footwork or otherwise it’s hard to be consistent. Elias’ footwork is really good.”

All of his defensive play is good, but somewhat expected. Diaz has always been adequate offensively, but has arguably turned himself into a weapon at the Triple-A level so far this season. Diaz has batted cleanup in 11 of his 15 games, including the last seven. He’s hitting for a .305/.317/.441 line so far this season. And that comes after he hit .318 in August last season, finishing the year on a high note.

In the past, Diaz has gotten in spurts of over-swinging, Barkett said, but added he’s done a good job of avoiding that this season.

“I think he’s a lot closer [offensively] than he ever has before,” Barkett said. “If you look collectively, his at-bats have probably been the best at-bats any of our guys have taken.”

Diaz is likely the future starting catcher in Pittsburgh, but not until Cervelli leaves. In the very least, Diaz will provide a more than suitable insurance policy at the Triple-A level assuming he can stay healthy himself. Last season Cervelli and backup Chris Stewart were injured at the same time, but so was Diaz.

Diaz has been considered a top prospect for several years, especially defensively. He’s making some strides offensively this year, letting his tools shine through on the field. At this point he’s just waiting for an opportunity for playing time in the big leagues, and might see that if Cervelli’s foot becomes an issue throughout the year.

MINOR LEAGUE REPORT (games of May 1)

Indianapolis was off on Monday.

Altoona was rained out on Monday. A makeup date has yet to be announced.

BRADENTON, Fla. – Taylor Hearn got off to a rough start in the first inning tonight, giving up a one out walk and a two- run homer. From that point forward, he settled down, retiring the next seven batters, and finishing his outing with two runs in six innings of work.

Hearn did have some control issues throughout the start, including a few walks with two outs in the third inning. After issuing the first two-out walk, he picked off the runner at first, but ’s throw to second pulled Mitchell Tolman toward the pitcher’s mound, allowing the runner to slide around the tag. Hearn then issued another walk, allowing the runner at second to take third. He got out of the jam with a strikeout, one of eight on the night.

That was the big thing working for Hearn tonight. He was throwing his fastball consistently in the 97 MPH range, getting a lot of swings and misses with the fastball, especially when he got ahead in counts and elevated it up and away. The last time I saw Hearn, he was inconsistent in putting opposing hitters away, often because he was working deep into counts, rather than getting ahead and getting in a good position to get batters to chase like he was doing tonight.

It wasn’t a perfect night for Hearn, but it was a good outing. I thought he did a good job of rebounding from the home run, and rebounding from some poor control at various times. At the same time, he did have control issues, which will be the biggest focus as the year goes on. He also gave up runs in the first two innings for the third start in a row.

After Sam Street slowed it down for two innings, lefty Jake Brentz came on and brought the velocity, sitting around 97-98 MPH in his inning of work, and pounding the strike zone with his fastball. Brentz and Hearn have often been paired up in the same outings, which seems more coincidental than a strategy. It’s an unfair coincidence, as both lefties can pump in lively upper-90s , making for a tough day for opposing hitters.

The Marauders won the game 8-3, scoring four runs in the third and four in the seventh. In each case they benefited from poor defense by St. Lucie, along with some aggressive work on the bases. stole four bases on the night, giving him 17 this year. Logan Hill continued his hot hitting, getting a two RBI double in the seventh inning to help break the game open. – Tim Williams

West Virginia had off on Monday.

TODAY’S SCHEDULE

Today’s Starter and Notes: The Pittsburgh Pirates lost 4-3 to the Cincinnati Reds on Monday night. The Pirates will send Tyler Glasnow to the mound tonight for his fifth start. He faced the Reds in his season opener and allowed five runs over 1.2 innings. Cincinnati will counter with veteran right-hander Scott Feldman, who has a 3.25 ERA in 27.2 innings this season.

In the minors, Tyler Eppler makes his fifth start today. He went five innings in his last outing, giving up four runs. In his three previous starts combined, he allowed two runs. JT Brubaker was scheduled to go for Altoona yesterday, but they were rained out, so he will try again today. Bradenton’s starter Gage Hinsz allowed one run over six innings in his last start. West Virginia’s Cam Vieaux leads all Pirates with a 1.61 ERA.

MLB: Pittsburgh (11-14) @ Reds (12-13) 7:10 PM Probable starter: Tyler Glasnow (7.98 ERA, 13:17 BB/SO, 14.2 IP)

AAA: Indianapolis (7-15) vs Toledo (12-10) 7:05 PM Probable starter: Tyler Eppler (2.45 ERA, 2:15 BB/SO, 22.0 IP)

AA: Altoona (13-9) vs Richmond (9-12) 6:00 PM Probable starter: JT Brubaker (5.09 ERA, 8:16 BB/SO, 23.0 IP)

High-A: Bradenton (14-11) vs St Lucie (10-15) 6:30 PM Probable starter: Gage Hinsz (7.41 ERA, 8:10 BB/SO, 17.0 IP)

Low-A: West Virginia (11-14) vs Hickory (9-15) 7:05 PM Probable starter: Cam Vieaux (1.61 ERA, 4:10 BB/SO, 22.1 IP)

TRANSACTIONS

Team Player Transaction Brandon Workman Called Up from Minors

Boston Red Sox Steven Wright Placed on 10-Day DL, (Sprained left knee)

Team Player Transaction

Baltimore Orioles Mike Wright Called Up from Minors

Baltimore Orioles Logan Verrett Sent to Minors

Chicago White Sox Sent to Minors

Detroit Tigers Chad Bell Called Up from Minors

Houston Astros Jake Marisnick Removed from 7-Day DL, (Concussion)

Houston Astros Jake Marisnick Recalled From Minors, Rehab Assignment

Houston Astros Tony Kemp Sent to Minors

Los Angeles Dodgers Called Up from Minors

Los Angeles Dodgers Sent to Minors, For Rehabilitation

Los Angeles Dodgers Josh Ravin Sent to Minors, For Rehabilitation

Los Angeles Dodgers Hyun-Jin Ryu Placed on 10-Day DL, (Left hip contusion)

Milwaukee Brewers Rob Scahill Purchased From Minors

Milwaukee Brewers Tommy Milone Designated for Assignment

New York Mets Paul Sewald Called Up from Minors

New York Mets Noah Syndergaard Placed on 10-Day DL, (Torn right lat)

New York Yankees Sent to Minors

New York Yankees Called Up from Minors

Oakland Athletics Ryan LaMarre Sent to Minors

Oakland Athletics Removed From 10-Day DL, (Strained right shoulder)

Oakland Athletics Sonny Gray Recalled From Minors, Rehab Assignment

Pittsburgh Pirates Elías Díaz Called Up from Minors

Pittsburgh Pirates John Bormann Sent to Minors

Tampa Bay Rays Removed From 10-Day DL, (Strained left hamstring)

Tampa Bay Rays Ryan Garton Sent to Minors

Toronto Blue Jays Danny Barnes Called Up from Minors Toronto Blue Jays Placed on 10-Day DL, (Split right fingernail)

Washington Nationals Sent to Minors